Lenten Devotional - #24

Psalm 66 (Young's Literal Translation)

1To the Overseer. -- A Song, a Psalm. Shout ye to God, all the earth. 2Praise ye the honour of His name, Make ye honourable His praise. 3Say to God, `How fearful [are] Thy works, By the abundance of Thy strength, Thine enemies feign obedience to Thee.
4All the earth do bow to Thee, They sing praise to Thee, they praise Thy name.' Selah.
5Come ye, and see the works of God, Fearful acts toward the sons of men. 6He hath turned a sea to dry land, Through a river they pass over on foot, There do we rejoice in Him. 7Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.
8Bless, ye peoples, our God, And sound the voice of His praise, 9Who hath placed our soul in life, And suffered not our feet to be moved. 10For Thou hast tried us, O God, Thou hast refined us as the refining of silver. 11Thou hast brought us into a net, Thou hast placed pressure on our loins. 12Thou hast caused man to ride at our head. We have entered into fire and into water, And Thou bringest us out to a watered place. 13I enter Thy house with burnt-offerings, I complete to Thee my vows,14For opened were my lips, And my mouth spake in my distress: 15`Burnt-offerings of fatlings I offer to Thee, With perfume of rams, I prepare a bullock with he-goats.' Selah.
16Come, hear, all ye who fear God, And I recount what he did for my soul. 17Unto Him [with] my mouth I have called, And exaltation [is] under my tongue. 18Iniquity, if I have seen in my heart, The Lord doth not hear. 19But God hath heard, He hath ttended to the voice of my prayer. 20Blessed [is] God, Who hath not turned aside my prayer, And His loving-kindness, from me!

A Prayer for Thursday
Word of God, bless the silence between words, bless the silence between what is said and what is heard, bless the silence between what happens and what is remembered, bless the silence - before we fill it.

[Silence]

Help us to hear silence, pursue quietness, and relish tranquility that we may be conscious that You are this near to us.
God, fill the silence with your Spirit and let us breathe You into our entire being. Amen.

(from the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada)